Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Pratitya Samutpada (Conditioned Co-production),and#8221; takes us right to the heart of the matter: How the Buddha sees things. Subhuti, with his sharp clarity and clear vision, explores one of the central teachings of the Buddha and#8211; that things arise and pass away in dependence upon conditions. Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order National Order Weekend, Wymondham 2006

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, titled and#8220;What is the Middle Way?and#8221; is extracted from the talk and#8220;Twenty Years on the Middle Wayand#8221; by Sangharakshita. The Middle Way can be explored through three levels of application: ethics, psychology and metaphysics. Sagharakshita explores the extreme views associated with each as he points the way towards the Middle Way. Talk given in 1987

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;What is the Spiritual Community,and#8221; is an extract from the well-loved talk and#8220;The Individual, the Group, and the Spiritual Communityand#8221; by Sangharakshita. Posing the questions: What is individuality? What is the difference between a group and a spiritual community? How can an ordinary group support our efforts to transcend the group? Talk given in 1971.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Donand#8217;t Leave Your Values at Home,and#8221; Khemasuri passionately shares the case for embracing personal responsibility and community engagement as a way of effecting social change in our troubled world. This track from the talk, and#8220;Building an Ethical Underworld and#8211; Lessons from the Mafiaand#8221;, given at the Buddhafield Festival, Devon, 2007.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Doubt from Faith,and#8221; takes us into some crazy stuff as we hit koan country! In this track, Padmavajra explores materialist versus religious world views, spiritual life without God and the dialectic between Great Faith and Great Doubt. Uncompromising stuff towards a more profound level of awareness and#8211; steer to the deep! FBA Dharmabyte from the full talk, and#8220;Great Doubt,and#8221;, featured in this Saturdayand#8217;s full podcast.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Rememberance of Freedom,and#8221; by Kulaprabha, is from a meditation and#8211; a led reflection from the recording titled and#8220;Reflection on the Eight Freedomsand#8221;. Let yourself be led through this reflection and take up the challenge of seeing just what positive circumstances we already have to doand#8230; Well, to do what with them? Therein lies the freedom and the challenge. This is another in the series of talks from Taraloka inspired by Gampopaand#8217;s text and#8211; and#8216;The Jewel Ornament of Liberationand#8217;, December 2007 Please note this talk is a led meditation.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Establishment of Taraloka,and#8221; Sangharakshita shares his rejoicings of the opening of the new retreat centre for women, Taraloka. This track is from the talk, and#8220;Buddhist Dawn in the West,and#8221; in which Sangharakshita outlines what led him to found the Triratna [FWBO] Community. In addition to sharing his thoughts about Taraloka, he discusses developments in ordinations conducted by senior Order Members and a new Buddhist magazine. Talk given in 1986.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Tara as Embodiment of Practice for Others,and#8221; is an excerpt from the talk, and#8220;Chetul Sangye Dorjeand#8221; by Vajratara given at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2007

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Nearness of Tara,and#8221; is an excerpt from the talk, and#8220;Contemplating the Qualities of the Tathagatasand#8221; by Samantabhadri, given at Taraloka in February, 2010.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Interconnectedness and the Awakening Heartand#8221; Parami explores the theme of the Buddhaand#8217;s compassionate action and how ultimately it came from beyond self, beyond other and#8211; it emerged from his realisation of and#8216;Emptinessand#8217;. The Buddha realised full well how hard it was going to be to communicate what he had discovered to other people and#8211; to us. He knew that the grip of greed, hatred and delusion is very strong. He could imagine how vexatious it might be to teach. Fortunately for us, he could also see our potential. And so out of compassion he taught. FBA Dharmabyte from the full talk, and#8220;Out of Compassion for the World,and#8221; given at the Triratna International Retreat at Taraloka, May 2008

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Three Characteristics of Conditioned Existenceand#8221; Sangharakshita illustrates how perfect vision can arise, and concludes by showing how Buddhists have communicated their vision of reality in conceptual and imaginative terms. FBA Dharmabyte from the full talk, and#8220;The Nature of Existence: Right Understanding,and#8221; given in 1968 as part of the series and#8220;The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path.and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Fear and Dreadand#8221;Kulaprabha explores spiritual death and#8211; death of our fixed, bounded self, the self that is made up of bundled habits and preferences and views, especially views about existence and non-existence and#8211; with reference to the first of two Pali Canon suttas. From the talk: and#8220;Spiritual Death, Fear and Fearlessnessand#8221; given at the Taraloka, May 2008 as part of the System of Meditation retreats.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Indraand#8217;s Net andamp; The Web of Life,and#8221; Akuppa traces positive lessons to be learned from simply observing and engaging with natureand#8217;s patterns and processes and#8211; and invites us all to prepare to be awestruck as a necessary first step. From the talk: and#8220;Buddhism and Ecologyand#8221; given at the Triratna [Western Buddhist Order] Convention, 2005

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;The Effect of Reflecting on Sufferingand#8221; Maitreyi looks at pleasure and suffering in the context of samsara and#8211; compassionate responses to self and other, and how to loosen the bondsand#8230; This Dharmabyte is from the talk and#8220;The Defects and Dangers of Samsara,and#8221; given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre, 2005 and is part of the series and#8220;The Four Mind-Turning Reflections.and#8221;

From Padmavajraand#8217;s wonderful series on The Dhammapada we bring you todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte:and#8220;Metta Bhavana: A Most Important Practice.and#8221; All of the Buddhaand#8217;s core teachings are here and#8211; held in heart and mind thereand#8217;s more than enough in the Dhammapada to take us as far in our practice as we can imagine, and then on beyondand#8230; From and#8220;Changing Hatred Into Love and#8211; The Dhammapada Verses 3 to 6,and#8221; part of the series and#8220;The Dhammapada and#8211; The Buddhaand#8217;s Way of Truthand#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is from our founder and teacher Sangharakshita: and#8220;The Positive Restructuring of Consciousness.and#8221; In Buddhist practice, the traditional method of choice for effecting positive change in oneand#8217;s life is meditation. Here Sangharakshita takes a closer look, focussing on the and#8216;superconscious statesand#8217; (characterised in turn by integration, inspiration, permeation, and radiation), the practice of developing universal friendliness, and the distinction between calm and Insight. From the talk: and#8220;A Method of Personal Development,and#8221; 1976.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Cherishing Living Beingsand#8221;, Subhuti tenderly takes us into the meaning of cherishing and#8211; looking after others, caring for them, and engaging in small acts of kindness. From the first talk in the series and#8220;Eight Verses for Training the Mind (talk 1).and#8221; and#8220;May I always cherish all beings, With the resolve to accomplish for them The highest good that is more precious Than any wish-fulfilling jewel.and#8221; Talk given at Madhyamaloka, Birmingham, 2004 This Dharmabyte excerpt is part of the series and#8220;Eight Verses for Training the Mind.and#8221;

Our Dharmabyte today continues on the theme of Ethics with Parami sharing her thoughts on and#8220;Ethics and Compassion.and#8221; Parami explores this theme of the Buddhaand#8217;s compassionate action and how ultimately it came from beyond self, beyond other and#8211; it emerged from his realisation of and#8216;Emptinessand#8217;. and#8220;Out of Compassion for the Worldand#8221; was given at FWBO [Triratna] International Retreat at Taraloka, May 2008

Our Dharmabyte today, and#8220;Buddhism and The Mind,and#8221; takes us back to 1967 with Sangharakshitaand#8217;s lecture: and#8220;Meditation: the Expanding Consciousness.and#8221; The mind has depths and heights of which we are not normally aware, Buddhism squarely places our attention in a very practical way on the development of Mind. Meditation is something to be experienced, not talked about!

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Images of Integration,and#8221; Viveka explores the many, diverse faces of mindfulness practice and#8211; breaking down the ideological barriers that can so often divide when we try to figure out what, exactly, does constitute mindfulness meditationand#8230; Dharmabyte from the full talk: and#8220;Mindfulness as Sadhanaand#8221; given at the Western Buddhist Order Convention 2005